Kaede
by SugaMama09
Summary: General of Satan's (his father) demonic army, Sesshomaru is annoyed his name is being forgotten on Earth and needs a change of pace. He was thinking maybe finding new ways of torturing souls before dragging them back to Hell but apparently change is going to come in the form of an old woman who accidentally summoned him and thinks he's her grandson
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, hi! I got this idea from a writing prompt I saw on Tumblr and I had to at least write the rough draft real quick. I wanted to see how you guys would like it especially considering how different this is for me. I can't say for sure when updates will be since I'm still working on other stories (like the Couple of Forevers sequel!) but just know I will more than likely update this by the end of the year. Let me know what you guys think, regardless :)**

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Sesshomaru watched the new arrivals, the fear on their faces, the excruciating pain that caused them to scream out as they were hurled into the lake of fire and smirked. According to the scouts that surveyed human behavior and activities, there was yet another war raging, which would explain the influx of the newly dead. Sesshomaru thought to ask the scouts what was the war over this time but figured it'd be best if he wasn't aware of man's stupidity. After they raged war over some oil just to fuel their cars and pollute the earth, he swore then he didn't want to know the reason for their pointless fighting anymore.

"Yo!"

The demon glanced over at his younger brother approaching, the young man's lips lifted to show off a lopsided, malicious grin.

"I can feel someone about to summon me. You need anything while I'm up there?"

Sesshomaru shook his head once. "No, Inuyasha. Do whatever it is you need to do and then come back. You need to be here for when the angels are ready for battle"

Inuyasha snorted, crossing his burly arms and watching as the bodies of the new arrivals tumbled in the fiery lake. "Whaddya need me there for? You got access to Father's whole army"

"While we are getting dead people, so is heaven. Their numbers may very well tip the scales in their favor"

Inuyasha mumbled something under his breath but before Sesshomaru could ask him to repeat himself, Inuyasha's summoning charm blossomed in front of them into a mirror that showed a group of teenaged boys and girls with their eyes closed, chanting in Latin. Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru with a cocky smile. "Don't wait up"

The demon sighed inaudibly as his younger brother stepped through the portal to screams [though whether they were screams of fright, shock or excitement, he'd never know]. Sesshomaru turned briskly and stared out across the barren wasteland of his home. Why didn't he ever get summoned anymore? He used to be so popular back in the day, as he was coming back to Hell, another portal would open for him. He was never here for longer than a few hours. Oh, the idiots that called to him always ask for the stupidest things in exchange for their soul: riches, fame, love, to bring back a loved one. Every time, Sesshomaru would find some loophole that allowed him to get the soul while the human didn't get to enjoy whatever they asked for. It was glorious, dragging their screeching soul back to Hell and watching their loved ones watch helplessly. It made goosebumps flair up and down his arms in excitement. And then there were the ones who thought he was a succubus…those were his least favorite.

"Prob'ly cause you're such a pretty boy. They think you're comin' to seduce 'em" Inuyasha has said on several occasions to which Sesshomaru only responded by rolling his eyes.

Two high ranking officers in the demon army, Takemaru and Shishinki, stepped through their summoning portals at the same time with a soul in tow for each of them. The souls looked about wildly before their eyes widened in horror, taking in the surrounding demons, the barren landscape, the lake of fire that was throwing off heat even from all these miles away and the tortured screams of the souls still currently being tossed in like crawfish for a boil.

"No, no, no! Please, no!" one of the souls begged.

"Your pleading is devine…" Takemaru purred in his quiet voice, adjusting his hold to the soul's hair and dragging them to the lake, "I shall thoroughly enjoy your screaming"

"Makes you wonder why he didn't apply to be a succubus, huh?" Shishinki murmured to Sesshomaru before following, the soul he was dragging along silent and still with fear.

Internally, Sesshomaru sighed. There had to be more to his existence than just being the general of his father's army. Granted, that army was comprised of demons that were personally cast into hell by God himself so that in and of itself made training the soldiers so much more interesting. But…he longed for…something. He couldn't put his finger on what it was but he needed to start figuring out exactly what that something is before he drove himself crazy.

Yura, a succubus who'd was quite a high rank, flipped her hair and she sent him a mischievous smirk as she walked by. "I'm going to the Above World for some fun. What do you like, boys? Girls?"

"I do not enjoy children" Sesshomaru responded.

"Or anyone, for that matter" she grumbled, "If you see Kagura, tell her to meet me in the club where we had that orgy. She'll know what you're talking about"

The inuyoukai chose not to respond as she disappeared into her summoning charm, her back arched unnecessarily hard to flaunt her ample bottom. Ugh, succubuses…

"Everyone seems to be getting summoned but you"

Sesshomaru glanced over as his father, Toga (aka Satan), ambled towards him, his eyes practically glowing. "It would seem so"

"You have not lost your touch, have you? You used to bring me more souls than even I" Toga rumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

The young general's jaw clenched but he didn't respond. He didn't want to appear as if he was whining, especially not in front of his father, but…this just wasn't fair! He wanted to be summoned too! He enjoyed snatching up souls just as much as everyone else here in Hell!

"Everyone has their season. Perhaps, you are simply losing the following you once had. Twas long ago; I doubt those who would remember your name are alive now" Toga mused.

"God is losing believers as well, even as we speak" Sesshomaru pointed out.

"Ah, but so are you and you are not as powerful as God. Have you considered…reintroducing yourself to the world?"

"I will _not_ become a succubus!"

Toga threw his head back and laughed, clawed hand on his belly. "I perished the thought of you becoming one of… _those_ long ago. No, I was simply implying that maybe you need to employ a new way of making yourself known to the world, or at least make yourself appealing to the younger generation. You know how much they love to play with those wedgie boards-"

"Ouija"

"Whatever. You've done more than enough around here. Take a vacation, go torture some souls and then bring them back"

Sesshomaru thought about that for a moment while he absentmindedly watched the bodies of the new arrivals continue to be hurled into the lake of fire. Did he even feel like reintroducing himself to the world? That sounded like a lot of work just for a few day's getaway…but it was tempting. "Perhaps. I shall look into it"

"Well then" Toga said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together, "I have some business to finish. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you bring me my souls. It's time you get back to work"

The inuyoukai watched his father take to the smoky skies, his wings throwing intimidating shadows over the landscape. Maybe Toga was right: maybe the world needed to know his name again.

"Spirits…if you are listening, show us. Show us your power"

Sesshomaru sighed. Another ouija message was coming through like an announcement over the PA system.

A soldier [Sesshomaru couldn't be bothered to remember his name] slid up beside him. "Shall I answer, my liege?"

"No, it's fine. I will handle it" the young general said with a smirk and lifted his hand to spell out, "What?" with the planchette. As it glided across the board, the teens using it gasped in shock.

"Did you do that?" one of them whispered to her peer but there wasn't an audible response.

"Spirit, we ask that you manifest yourself and tell us your name" the original speaker said.

Sesshomaru considering being cheeky and responding with, "No" but then the hair on his right arm raised and he paused, frowning a moment. Even though it'd been a long time, he still remembered what it felt like to be summoned to the Above World. Was it these kids or someone else? And if it was someone else, who the hell was it?

Inuyasha's face flashed before his mind's eye and Sesshomaru grit his fangs. That _would_ be something that brat would do. He was going to wring that idiot's neck.

"Entertain them then kill them all" the young general ordered the minion and turned on his heel to make his way over to his summoning portal. He didn't hesitate to reconsider who it might be before he stepped through and after a brief period of bright colors and a loud _woosh!_ Sesshomaru found himself in a cramped, old living room. From the smell of things, it was quite an old house, possibly even abandoned. It had the distinct smell of old humans with bad knees and favorite old chairs and dusty books that hadn't been opened in years. Little trinklets like dolls and figurines and old keepsakes were stuffed in every corner; boy, this person certainly was a packrat.

Speaking of person, where were they? Sesshomaru surveyed his surroundings and saw a knitted version of his summoning portal opening on a floral couch. Who in the world even knew what his summoning portal looked like and why the hell did they knit it? On the floor, in between the coffee table and couch was a few drops of blood and some broken glass. Hmm, so somehow this clutz had cut themselves, gotten their blood on his summoning portal and accidently called for him. How unbelievably typical of huma-

"Oh! Why, hello, Ryuk! You gave me quite a fright; how did you get in? Oh, never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm just simply beside myself! My Ryuk has come to visit me! Oh, come give your granny Kaede a hug!"

Sesshomaru stiffened in discomfort as an old woman emerged out of the kitchen, dish towel wrapped around her index finger, and came forward to hug him tightly. What the hell was wrong with this woman?! She must be blind or an idiot if she thought he was her grandson!

This Kaede woman finally let go and patted his arm affectionately. "Oh, it's so good to see you, dearie. You've gotten so tall! I figured you would be, as tall as your father is, but goodness, I think you might have surpassed him! Would you like some tea, dearie? I also have some sour cream pound cake if you would like a slice"

She walked back towards what Sesshomaru assumed was the kitchen and filled the coffee pot with water before pouring it in the heating chamber then she took out two mugs. Sesshomaru wasn't sure how to conduct himself at the moment. He was a fearsome general of an army of demons, he didn't have coffee and cake with old women! He hesitantly took a step forward just as she cut a generous slice of cake and put it on its side on a small plate.

"Please, please, sit down!" Kaede said, waving at a chair shoved into a corner of the kitchen, "Boys your age do tend to be hungry, don't they? I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to see you, Ryuk! Your mother called me a few weeks ago and reminded me of your birthday approaching. I thought to just give you money but she said you were in a goth phase so I borrowed a book of witchcraft and summoning spells from the library and knitted you something! Actually, that's what I'd been working on until I accidently knocked over my glass of tea then pricked my finger trying to clean the mess up! I've gotten so clumsy as of late but oh well. I guess it comes with age"

Sesshomaru watched as Kaede seemed to clean her kitchen absentmindedly: wiping down the counter and cabinets, washing the few dishes that were in the sink and sweeping the floor. He stayed by the entrance, trying to decide what to do when she stopped in the middle of pouring some coffee and began looking around.

"Ryuk, dear, have you seen my glasses by any chance? I just realized the reason you look like a blur is because I didn't have them on!"

The inuyoukai glanced over his shoulder into the living room and saw them on the table beside the couch. He could very well leave them there or better yet, just snatch her soul up. She was an old woman; she probably had a good ten more years or less left on this earth, right? But…somehow, he found himself reaching for the glasses and then handing them to her. Now that she was going to be able to see clearly, what would she do when she realized he wasn't Ryuk?

Kaede adjusted her glasses until they were comfortable then blinked up at him a few times…then smiled. "My, aren't you handsome as ever! I expected your hair to be black, considering this goth phase your mother claimed you were in but I guess you march to the beat of your own drum. I always did like that about you, dearie, you never did follow the crowd, even if doing your own thing was more inconvenient. Sit, sit. Don't want your cake getting all stale"

Sesshomaru glanced at the seat she motioned towards and found himself going through all the things he could possibly do right now. It would be so easy and no dust on his shoulder if he simply killed her or even left but his feet moved to the chair, regardless, and eased him down into it. His hand picked up the fork next to his slice of cake, cut off a piece and brought it up to his mouth where he slowly ate it. This was so out of character for him…but who would know? He tried to come up with an excuse for why he was doing this and why didn't he get back in character but what would be the point? He didn't have to explain himself to anyone.

Kaede finally sat after setting down two mugs of coffee and smiled at him fondly. "Ah, you haven't changed a bit. Well, except you're a lot taller but boys will be boys with their crazy growth spurts. How long are you staying? I want to be sure I make a nice, hefty dinner for you. I took out some hamburger meat so I can make lasagna if that's ok with you"

"That's fine. Thank you" Sesshomaru murmured. His voice sounded much too deep, much too loud for the small space and he internally cringed, thinking that would be the thing that would let Kaede know he was not her grandson.

She simply laughed. "Your voice has gotten so much deeper! I bet you've got that booming, authoritative voice from your father because your mother certainly has no bass in her voice. The poor thing sounds like a trumpet"

An uncharacteristic laugh threatened to burst from Sesshomaru's mouth, almost making him choke on his piece of cake. Any other time, he would not have taken kindly to someone talking about his mother, regardless of whether they knew her or not, but she was absolutely right: his mother's voice had absolutely no bass in it.

Kaede sighed happily. "It's so good to see you. I don't know why your mother didn't give me a head's up you were coming but it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're here"

The young general wanted to smile at her as she put a gentle hand on his to reassure her, to show her he was appreciative but he'd been out of character enough today. Smiling just didn't feel right.

They sat in silence for some time, staring out the window or just absently at the floor. It was peaceful and such a difference from the hectic, chaotic, noisy scene back home in Hell. As the sun set, Kaede began straightening up the living room as she prepared for bed.

"You're welcomed to sleep in the guest room. It's quite cool but your mother says your hot natured so you might prefer that. Towels and washcloths are in the hallways closet, soap is in the drawer to the right of the sink. If you need anything, do let me know, ok?"

Sesshomaru nodded as she motioned in the direction of the guest room.

Kaede sighed as she examined the summoning charm she'd been knitting. "I guess I could try to get this blood out with some peroxide. I'd hate to start all over, especially since you're already here. Oh well, that's a problem for tomorrow. I'll just soak it in cold water. Have a good night, dearie"

The demon stilled as she walked by him and patted his arm affectionately then went to the guest room and sat on the queen sized bed to survey his surroundings. He could tell the room was seldom used with the smell of old moth balls and outdated cologne permeating the air but it was still comfortable for human standards. He shook his head to himself as he rested on his back, knowing he wasn't going to sleep. Summoned on accident by an old lady...what are the odds?


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshomaru watched the sun rise with a sense of calm. It's been many thousands of years since he allowed himself this small pleasure. It seemed like his job as general was never quite finished; even now, he could feel the tug and beckon of nearby souls, begging for their god, death or simply to be put out of their misery. He ignored the calls and took a deep inhale of the morning air. Simple pleasur-

"Ryuk? Ryuk! Ryuk, where are you?"

The inuyoukai didn't particularly like that name (it sounded like a bratty, snotty nosed, stuck up asshole kid) but for whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to tell this old woman who he really was. He hadn't been able to get back into character yet but to be honest, he wasn't in any hurry. He was going to enjoy this little vacation until the wheels fell off.

He stood and casually walked right off the roof of the little house and landed in the backyard, in front of the kitchen window where Kaede was leaning out, her mouth fixed to call his "name" again.

The old woman jumped, her hand on her chest. "Goodness, Ryuk! You scared me half to death!"

Sesshomaru smirked. If that was the case, he only needed to scare her one more time before she gave up the ghost and he could sweet-talk it into following him to Hell.

Kaede took a few deep breaths then adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "Would you be a dear and pick up my medicine for me? The pharmacy called and said if I didn't come get them, they were going to trash them and I need them. Here, let me get my purse then you can drive my car"

The demon looked over his shoulder at the rusty metal trap she referred to as a car and frowned. "No thanks. I'll walk"

"Y-you'll do what now? Ryuk, it's fifteen miles away, you can't walk that far in this weather!"

He made a show of looking up at the sky which only had a few clouds. The temperature was kind of cool with the oncoming smell of fall and a slight breeze; what was this woman talking about?

Kaede sighed then chuckled. "You're right, you're a grown man. You can make your own decisions and if you want to walk then so be it. Wait here, I'll get my wallet"

Sesshomaru waited patiently, briefly wondering if getting this woman's medications was really something he felt like was his problems. If she didn't have her meds, she'd die and he'd have one more soul under his belt, not to mention, there was no point in putting off the inevitable. These doctors were not God; they couldn't delay death forever. But once more, he found himself accepting her money when she brought it back and a Post-It with her date of birth.

"They'll ask you to verify my birthday and name when you try to pick it up. I assume it's so the wrong person doesn't get your meds but who in the world would want to steal blood pressure & seizure medicine?" Kaede murmured.

"What is your last name?" Sesshomaru asked and frowned when Kaede laughed.

"Mine is the same as yours, silly. Your father was not the type to take on the last name of his wife. Now go on before the pharmacy closes and by the time you come back, dinner will be ready"

The inuyoukai gritted his teeth in irritation as she walked away and absentmindedly noticed she was limping a little. What was so hard about just simply telling him her last name?! That would've been much more convenient than that explanation about his father!

Sesshomaru slipped back into the house and closed then locked the door. He was going to have to find something with her name on it without her knowing. My, how the mighty of fallen: a damn general of a demon army sneaking around to find out information about an old human woman. His father would flay him upside down and laugh while he did it if he ever found out.

First things first: what would have her full name on it and where would it be? He knew some people like hanging those papers up from their colleges that congratulated them on finishing their degree. Kaede was old, he was almost sure once, maybe a long, long…long time ago, she went to college. He'd never seen anything of that nature hanging up in her living room or dining room. He checked anyway, scanning the walls quickly while he kept hidden behind the door frame of the dining room. Kaede was sipping on her tea and reading a book so thankfully, slipping by her was going to be a breeze. Just as he was getting ready to walk by and into the hallways that led to the bedrooms, Kaede put her book down and rubbed her forehead.

"Dear, God. This headache is hurting me something awful…" she murmured to herself then stood up.

Sesshomaru froze for a second then, just as she walked into the kitchen, he slipped into the pantry, shutting the door until it was only a crack where he could watch her. Kaede got her teapot out of her cabinet, filled it with hot water and set it on the stove. She rubbed her eyes a few times, groaning [which is when Sesshomaru noticed she wasn't wearing her glasses] and sat down as she waited for the water to boil. He listened to a tune she began to hum and wondered briefly where the melody came from before Kaede slapped her hand to her knee as if she'd just remembered something.

"Can't have tea without my honey" she murmured to herself and began walking right over to the pantry.

' _Shit, shit, shit, shit…'_

The pantry wasn't big enough for Sesshomaru to hide anywhere [curse this inconvenience of having to hide from an old human in the first place!]. He glanced around quickly, mind racing, trying to find a solution, before he made the impulsive decision to grab the bottle of honey to his right and toss it out of the door where it slid across the kitchen floor.

Kaede put a hand to her chest in shock. "Oh my! Either I have ghosts or this thing just suddenly got a mind of its own!

As she turned her back to the pantry door to bend over and pick the bottle up, Sesshomaru slipped out and into the hallway where he watched her from around the corner. Whew, that was close! If she saw him, she'd more than likely have a heart attack and he could drag her to Hell but…well, he couldn't find a reason not to do just that but it didn't feel right. Her time would come and then he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

Kaede continued murmuring to herself about the honey having a mind of its own as Sesshomaru made his way to her bedroom. Boy, if he thought the living room was cramped, it had nothing on her room. Papers stacked high almost to the ceiling, books were pretty much on every surface, little figurines, keepsakes, Christmas ornaments and random pieces of candy were everywhere. The only visible part of the carpet was the path from the door to her queen sized bed that sagged in the middle. The smell of old people was a lot stronger here. The inuyoukai had to breathe through his mouth as he carefully made his way through the medium-sized room. Why was he inconveniencing himself for a stupid human? This was absolutely ridiculous, stooping so low as to help a human…a human! They were going to die anyway, why bother trying to help them survive a little longer? There were so many things he could be doing with his time and here was, sneaking around to find the last name of an old biddy so he could get her damn prescription!

Sesshomaru made his way to her walk-in closet but didn't find anything so he slipped into the guest bedroom where he was resting in at night. He'd never paid attention to the walls before but now noticed pictures of who he assumed were family members: infants and children, dogs and cats, an old man and a teenager [who he assumed was Ryuk. He looked nothing like the boy!]. He turned away from the photos, huffing, and scanned the walls. There were several dusty trophies beside the tv but they all had Kaede S. on it. Alright, at least he had the first letter…

"Ohh, it's already five o' clock…"

The inuyoukai pressed himself against the wall as Kaede walked by the room, murmuring to herself and wringing her hands in worry.

"It'll be dark soon. I hope he doesn't get lost. I knew I shouldn't have let him walk! Oh dear, I should call the police. His mother's going to be so upset! Ohh, dear…"

Sesshomaru sighed inaudibly and rolled his eyes to the ceiling, asking himself once more why was he even bothering with this old lady before he slipped out the room through the window and teleported behind the nearest CVS Pharmacy. He was just going to have to wing it and hope for the best [or choke the pharmacist out as a last resort]. He made his way to the front of the store and through the doors where a blast of cool air blew his bangs off his forehead.

"Hello, welcome to CVS" some cashier said to his right, behind the counter.

He ignored her and made his way to where a pharmacist was doing something on the computer. She glanced up as he approached and smiled.

"Hi, how can I help you tonight?"

"I need to pick up prescription for…my grandmother" Sesshomaru started off, swallowing around the uncomfortable lump in his throat at having to acknowledge he was going to play along with loony old woman's fantasy of being visited by her grandson.

"Ok, what is the prescription number?" the pharmacist asked.

"I…I do not know…"

"Do you know her social security number?"

"…No…"

"Ok, what's her full name then?"

"Kaede…S…"

"Kaede S? Like E-s-s or…?"

The inuyoukai was starting to become annoyed. He hadn't properly thought this out. "I'm in kind of a hurry. My…grandmother needs her medication or she's going to have a seizure then we'll have to call the ambulance then they'll poke and prod her until she's blue and purple all over then a month from that day, she'll get a statement in the mail about the two thousand dollars she owes _on top_ of the bills she already has!"

The pharmacist blinked a few times in shock, her hand halfway between her chest and her mouth before she swallowed and typed a few things in. "Ok…ok. I have a Kaede Sukuro and a Kaede Shikon. Umm…Ms. Sukuro is fifty eight…I don't think she's old enough to be your grandmother…"

Sesshomaru huffed. Was this human implying he looked like some baby?!

"But Ms. Shikon…does that last name sound familiar? Ms. Shikon with a prescription for Prazosin and Trileptal?"

The demon nodded once, hoping she had the right Kaede or his "grandmother" was really going to be feeling good, high on someone else's drugs.

"Ok…" the pharmacist murmured, typed a few more things then leaned forward, "Please keep this quiet. I could get fired and lose my license if they ever found out I didn't go through protocol to ensure you got the right meds"

The young general watched the woman step to the back with a raised eyebrow. In the middle of her explanation, the first thing that came to mind is, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a fuck" but he was glad he didn't say it. He'd never admit out loud [or even to himself] that he just wanted the blasted meds so he could take it to Kaede. He briefly wondered if he was beginning to care about the old biddy but he was distracted by the pharmacist coming back with a white bag.

She held it out to him with a smile. "Here, ya go. That'll be twelve dollars even"

Sesshomaru slipped a twenty from the wallet Kaede gave him [he had every intention of paying her back] and placed it in her hand before he turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring her cries for him to come back for his change. She could keep it; he had somewhere he needed to be at the moment.

When he made it back to Kaede's house, he was just lifting his hand up to knock on the door when it was snatched open and a teary-eyed Kaede stared him in the face, panting a little.

"I apologize for taking too long. They...had trouble finding your medications" Sesshomaru murmured.

The old woman snatched him into a tight hug, her wet face pressed against the top of his abdomen. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Ryuk. I was…I was worried sick"

The inuyoukai hesitantly patted the top of her head, swallowing around the uncomfortable lump in his throat. "Ah…I am sorry…"

Kaede took a few more minutes to get herself together then stepped back, clearing her throat and straightening out his shirt. "Well then…now that you're home safe and sound, let's have some tea and cake, shall we?"

As she turned on her heel to walk towards the kitchen, Sesshomaru stepped into the house and closed the door behind him, a smirk fixed onto his face. She was silly, worrying about him like he was a child…but he liked her.


	3. Chapter 3

Sesshomaru calmly sipped his tea as Kaede knitted in her comfy chair, humming a little melody to herself. That was one of the things he enjoyed about her: she didn't need to fill up the silence with mindless chatter. She was happy just sitting in her chair and sipping tea while gazing out the window or knitting her summoning circles [thankfully, she just kept knitting the one that summoned Sesshomaru and she hadn't dropped any blood on it].

"Soon, you'll be…home with me…once upon a December…" Kaede sang softly, holding up her newest creation to inspect it.

The melody brought back a memory of a child he knew, long, long before Kaede was even thought of, that liked to pick flowers while singing made-up songs to herself. She was a sweet thing, a soul he dared not try to persuade to come to Hell with him. Her soul was much too pure and she didn't deserve to suffer. He was content to watch her until her untimely death by a pack of wolves then he pointed her in the right direction towards Heaven. He wondered how she was doing now…

"The grass will need to be cut once more before winter comes" Kaede mentioned.

Sesshomaru had gotten pretty good at reading subtle messages from her. If she said there are quite a few dishes in the sink, that meant she wanted him to wash them. If she commented on how messy his room was, she wanted him to clean it up. And this comment about the grass meant she wanted him to cut it. "Where is your lawn mower?"

She looked up at him with a smile. "Out back, in the shed. Thank you, Ryuk, my dear"

The demon put his mug down and headed out back. Mowing the lawn couldn't be that hard but he didn't want an old lady doing yard work. There had to be some law against that.

The weather was fairly cool but he knew it would be warm once he really started getting into the swing of things so he took off his shirt [that Kaede bought him, of course] and tied it around his waist. He retrieved the rusty lawn mower from the shed, doubtful it would work but checked to make sure it had gas, the blades were sharp and everything looked ok anyway. He yanked the cord a few times and was actually surprised when it growled to life, vibrating like a plane hitting turbulence. He took it over to the lawn in the front of the house and began his work. At first, he actually had to put a little effort in pushing the mower; apparently, it's been a while since her lawn had been mowed and the long blades were making things difficult. At one point, Sesshomaru was concerned the old mower would break down and cough up its guts but it held on and cut the grass. As he was finishing up the front yard and getting ready to move to the backyard, he happened to glance up to see two older women grinning coyly at him from beside Kaede's mailbox, waving at him flirtatiously.

"Hiiii, Ryuk, sweetie!" one of them called.

"You need any lemonade, honey? It's awful hot out here" the other one said, her voice husky though the demon was sure that was a front to seem sexier.

"No, thank you" he called back.

The two women giggled, putting their heads together to whisper about something before stepping closer. The first one that spoke to him, a woman with bright auburn hair, lots of rings on her fingers and a nose piercing, approached first. She extended a dainty hand as if Sesshomaru was supposed to kiss it but the demon did not. He simply looked it then back at her.

She awkwardly put the hand down, cleared her throat and smiled. "Hi, baby, you remember me? I'm your dear grandmother's neighbor, Ayame. You're here to help out around the house?"

 _Obviously._ "Yes" Sesshomaru murmured.

The other woman, a lady that had to be at least 50 with her faded [obviously dyed] black hair swept back into a ponytail, giggled, her hand over her mouth. "Well, aren't you just the model grandson? I wish my grandchildren were as strong…and handsome as you…"

Sesshomaru shifted away in discomfort, an embarrassed blush making its way up his neck. Ugh, why were old women like this? For all they knew, he could be underaged! "If you don't mind, I have the backyard to finish"

Ayame's companion [who had yet to introduce herself] waved at him dismissively. "Oh, dearie, you deserve a short rest. Come, we'll make you some sweet tea"

"I-" the demon started.

"We will not take no for an answer, young man" Ayame said, waggling a finger, "We don't need you passing out in this heat and worrying Old Kaede into a fit"

Sesshomaru _barely_ resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead adjusted his stance so that his body language let them know he was ready to get back to work. Passing out in this heat? It was barely 80. "I appreciate it, ladies, but the sooner I finish this lawn, the sooner I can go inside. Good day"

"So polite…" Ayame murmured dreamily, "If only your daughter hadn't married that buffoon, she could marry Kaede's grandson, Jakotsu"

Sesshomaru was taken aback. Ayame's companion was a man?!

Jakotsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Divorces are not that expensive, you know…I'd gladly pay for it for her…"

"Koga is not that bad of a youngin now, let's give him more of a chance to redeem himself"

"Two weeks is more than enough time! Ryuk, how is your love life? My granddaughter will be available in about a month"

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and offered a one-handed salute. "I bid you adieu, ladies"

He revved up the lawn mower before they could respond and made his way to the backyard. Why did old women always try setting him up with their granddaughters [or that one time, when one tried to set him up with their grandson]? What if he enjoyed being single [which he did]? Why couldn't he just be left alone?!

Jakotsu and Ayame watched him for a few more minutes [probably hollering at him to get his attention] then decided to just give up and leave, cackling like hens all the way back to where ever they came. By that time, Sesshomaru was mostly finished. He mowed a few more lines in the grass, obsessed with how neat it looked since he mowed it in straight, diagonal lines, before the lawn gave way to the dirt that led out into the woods. For a split second, as he wiped his forehead, he wished he had some lemonade or sweet tea. Pushing this piece of junk was a lot more effort than he thought it would be but he felt a sense of accomplish-

"Ryuk? Ryuuuk!"

Sesshomaru sighed and put his shirt back on as he made his way back to the house. He walked up to the kitchen window Kaede was currently hanging out of and put his hands on his hips as he regarded her curiously.

"Be a dear and help me cook dinner. This arthritis is hurting me something awful today and it would be lovely if you'd cut up the vegetables" the old woman said sweetly.

The demon only hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "Allow me to shower and I will be right there"

Ugh. He almost disgusted himself with how nice he was to her. He couldn't even bring himself to think a negative thought about her! It was like he was…a huma-

He stopped that train of thought quickly as the urge to gag made him press the back of his hand to his mouth. Whatever he was becoming, he hoped he never turned into _that._

 _._

 _.._

…

With dinner simmering and the table set, Sesshomaru was able to sit and enjoy a bit of tea [he felt like he was becoming addicted to this stuff] while they waited. Kaede hummed quietly to herself as she flipped through a really thick cookbook, mostly made up of pages she inserted with her own writing.

"With the winter coming, it'll be time to make my beef stew with mashed potatoes. You still like beef stew, right?"

Sesshomaru gave her a glance. Who ever stopped liking beef stew? He nodded once as he resumed his staring back out of the kitchen window.

"I know kids can be quite fickle. Once, when you were a child, you used to adore butterscotch! Oh, you would eat them until you were blue in the face!" Kaede said with a chuckle. She sighed happily and looked at the ceiling, smiling dreamily, "You used to run to me every time you came to visit, begging for butterscotch. I swore one day you were going to turn into one. And then…one day…you just didn't want them anymore…"

The demon detected a note of sadness in her voice, like she wished things were how they used to be and before he could stop himself, he found himself feeling… _things_ about that sadness she let lace her voice. "It is not that I do not enjoy them anymore. I just simply…began liking other things and my palette craved for other candies"

Kaede regarded the demon curiously. "My, have you grown. Your vocabulary used to only consist of requests for food or money but now…you talk like a grown man…like you're educated. I missed so many important events in your life…"

The old woman would have bouts with nostalgia and depression like this at least twice a week. Majority of the time, she'd be able to get herself out of the rut by herself but every once in a while, Sesshomaru had to help bring her back, considering he wasn't all that comfortable with human emotions. They felt so strongly about damn near any and everything, it just gave him a headache.

The demon slowly put his mug of tea down. "You didn't miss anything important on purpose. You tried to be there and sometimes you weren't able. The fact that you tried is enough"

Then… _it_ happened: her eyes began to well up. She offered him a shaky smile. "You always did know the right thing to say to make me feel better"

Sesshomaru expected to feel extremely uncomfortable but instead, he felt…warm. Like someone had just given him a much appreciated compliment. Oh, no! He was having feelings! Blast these humans with their contagious emotions!

He stood and took their empty mugs to the sink to avoid the awkward silence. Ugh, he had to leave. He couldn't do this anymore. He'd overstayed his vacation and now he was paying for it. Everyone was going to see the change in him when he went back. He considered telling her he had to go but figured she'd only beg him to stay or get all sad again and knowing how soft he'd become in the last few days he'd been here with her, he'd more than likely give in and stay anyway. No. He had to leave without her knowing. Something in his chest squeezed at the thought of how she'd respond to seeing him in the afterlife, knowing she'd probably remember dying of heartbreak and blame it on him leaving her with no explanation but that was a bridge he could cross when he got to it. She wouldn't be the first to see him in Hell and be pissed.

They ate dinner silently, only the clinks of forks hitting the plates audible. Kaede kept her eyes mostly on her plate, a look of contemplation on her face. She was a quiet woman, someone who stayed in her head even with company and observed more than she talked. Sesshomaru didn't mind that, hell, he even preferred it…but for some reason now, it bothered him.

"Why do you live alone?" he asked without even thinking.

Kaede blinked up at him and adjusted her glasses. "Well…after your grandfather passed, I just…I don't know, I just never thought to remarry or even date again. I know I'm technically free to do so if I wished but it just feels like cheating if I date someone else"

The demon frowned. That wasn't exactly what he was getting at but that brought on a new train of thought: was she lonely? She was one of the very few old women he didn't see have a bunch of cats living with her. Maybe she didn't like cats. They could be temperamental creatures that weren't as loving as dogs-oh! That's it!

"What if you were to get a pet?" he questioned.

"A pet? Why, I hadn't even thought about it. I guess a pet could be nice" Kaede murmured, standing with a bit of difficulty, "I'm going to get ready for bed. Eat as much as you like, you know I don't care for leftovers"

After she left, Sesshomaru began putting the food into containers and putting it in the fridge. He couldn't leave her here alone, knowing she was beginning to have difficulty walking and seeing. Everything told him he shouldn't care, just force her ghost out and drag her to Hell with him so he could get back to his duties but a little voice in his head said, "No. Make sure she's taken care of"

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, Sesshomaru sent a thought to Jaken, the stable keeper back in Hell. _'Send a Hellhound to my location'_

There was a brief pause as he was sure his thought message woke the little minion up, _'A Hellhound, sire? Do you care which one?'_

' _Send me Ah-Un'_

It took a few moments before the Great Dane-sized, two headed hound stepped out of the fireplace with a burst of flame, its fur smoldering and smelling of sulfur.

"You will stay here and keep an eye on the old woman" Sesshomaru commanded, summoning his portal with a quick flick of his wrist.

Ah-Un gave him a questioning look, tilting their heads in confusion, more than likely wondering why the heck the general was commanding him to protect a freaking human.

"I will return to check on her after a few days. I shouldn't need to tell you to blend in" the inuyoukai said sternly then stepped through his portal, ignoring the tug at his heart. She would be fine. Ah-Un was more than capable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh hi! Happy New Year, happy belated Christmas and Hannakuh and all that great stuff! :D Sorry it's taken me a while to update; I'm already wrestling with writer's block. Let me know if you guys have any ideas for the story or what kind of adventures you'd like to see Kaede put Sessh [ & Ah-Un] through!**

* * *

"The prodigal son has returned to us at last!"

Sesshomaru frowned at the lieutenant for a moment before he turned to the demons lined up, awaiting orders. He figured if he was going to show up anywhere in Hell, he might as well come to where the army was. Surely, things had fallen off in his absence. "What are the angels doing? Any word from them?"

The lieutenant, Royakan, a huge, burly wolf demon with a wide mouth, dropped his smile and the joking, a look of being deep in thought replacing it. "Michael and Raphael seem to be keeping a close eye on us for whatever reason. I think they're trying to keep their plans under wraps"

"Or God is waiting for something before he gives the order to attack" Sesshomaru murmured, "He wouldn't send his best angels into Hell. Make sure we don't send our best out. We need to prepare for war"

"Sir, yes, sir" Royakan rumbled with a sharp salute then began barking orders to the soldiers.

Sesshomaru turned on his heel and made his way to where his father's morbid garden was. That's usually where the demon spent his time when he wasn't wrecking havoc on earth. The young general found Satan, pruning his black Venus flytraps and feeding it bits of flesh, smiling proudly as they feasted.

"They do grow up so quickly, don't they?" Sesshomaru murmured, holding back his bile. Ugh, human flesh smelled so awful.

"You've been gone for quite some time" Toga murmured, not looking up from his gardening, "I was beginning to think you fell in love with some human and was trying to find a way to get out of your duties as general"

Sesshomaru quickly diverted his thoughts away from images of him falling in love with Kaede. "Never that. I was just…enjoying my little vacation"

Enjoying? Did he seriously enjoy Kaede's company? How the mighty have fallen, indeed.

"Well, now that you've graced us with your presence once more, it's time you get back on your job. God dared me to change the hearts of his most loyal subjects, to which I have no doubt will be easy because let's face it: humans are weak. I get to choose them at random and will be gone for a while. I see Michael and Raphael have been more present as of late. Keep an eye on those two; I've never liked those pricks and have liked them even less since I got here. Archangels with their stupid superiority complexes…"

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably as his father grumbled to himself and folded his hand behind his back. It was always better to let Satan vent than to interrupt (he learned that the hard way).

"Stupid, little…well, anyway, I'm off. Keep things copacetic and there won't be any problems when I return" Toga said in a low voice, turning his molten golden eyes on his son.

The inuyoukai nodded in understanding.

Toga's leathery black wings unfolded from his back as his forked tail whipped back and forth. "This is going to be fun" he said then grinned mischievously, horns glinting, "Don't make any babies while I'm gone"

Sesshomaru's eye twitched as his father took to the sky and his jaw clenched irritably. Make babies?! With who?!

A summoning portal appeared to his right, starting off as a little pinpoint of light then growing into a complexed, geometric, glowing circle before Inuyasha stepped through, yawning like he'd just woke up.

"You are just now returning?" Sesshomaru questioned, taking in the young man's haggard appearance. His clothes looked like they'd been stretched beyond their limits in several different directions and like someone had been using his shirt as a napkin.

Inuyasha slowly ran his tongue over his fangs, grinning mischievously. "Yeah. The women were…thoroughly entertaining on this trip"

"Please don't tell me you got one of them pregnant…" Sesshomaru murmured

"What? Eww, no! I don't like human women _that_ much! Jeez, Sessh, gimme some credit!"

The inuyoukai huffed and flicked his wrist in an octagon to summon a looking portal to see what his troops were up to. "That is a relief"

Inuyasha stepped closer to his brother to catch a glimpse of what the army was up to. "Whatcha got them training to do today, sneaking up on the angels and slitting their throats? Personal favorite of mine. I can enjoy the bloodshed without getting dirty, ya know?"

"Hephaestus is forging The Unholy One for Father" Sesshomaru said in a low voice, frowning involuntarily as he watched his army training hard. They were strong. But would it be enough?

"The Unholy One? Well, if it ain't gonna lop God's head off, it ain't no good, no matter how cool its title is" Inuyasha huffed.

"He's forging it with steel mined from Mount Olympus, encased with vibranium and set with wurtzite boron nitride. I'm sure it will have the ability to do much more damage than lop God's head off, Inuyasha" the general said, "In Father's hands, it would be used to its greatest potential. That's not to say the war would be won easily but victory will surely be ours. My minions will be equipped with the best weapons and trained like assassins, not like they are some gorilla who just rushes head-first into battle with no plan"

The younger man narrowed his eyes on his older sibling. "That felt like a jab at me…"

"As the humans say, a ran over dog always hollers first"

"It's 'hit dog', you jackass!"

"Whatever" Sesshomaru muttered, waving a hand as he walked away. An alarm was going off in his head, warning him that he needed to check on Kaede. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why he even cared but he was past demanding answers from himself. He was just going to just let things be as they were.

He made his way over he barren landscape, past the fiery lake and the hordes of the dead screaming in agony, until he felt no one would happen to come across him. He fluttered his fingers in front of him to bring up an image of what was going on in Kaede's household. Currently, the old biddy was knitting yet again, though this time it looked more like socks as Ah-Un [currently disguised as a one headed dog though they were still as big as a Great Dane mixed with a horse] laid at her feet, the head on their paws but their ears high and on alert.

' _Status report'_ Sesshomaru directed his thoughts to them.

Ah-Un's ears swiveled a tad to the right. _'Bored. Woman just hums and does the thing with the strings'_

The general rolled his eyes. _'That is the least of my concern! How has she been holding up? Is she in pain?'_

' _Her knees hurt. I get things a lot for her. And her eyes are becoming cloudy'_

She was becoming blind. Something about that made the inuyoukai's chest hurt. She wouldn't be able to see anymore…

' _Sir?'_

' _That is all, Ah-Un. I will return soon'_

' _Sir, she's not well'_

Sesshomaru focused on the image of Kaede and saw she was rubbing her chest, face pinched in pain. She began gasping, her knitting falling to the floor, her hand now clutching at her shirt. Ah-Un stood up in alarm and paced, unsure of what to do.

' _Sir, I don't have thumbs! What do I do?!'_

A hot, pricking sensation ghosted across the back of Sesshomaru's neck as the adrenaline in his body suddenly spiked. She was dying; that meant that was one more soul he had under his belt but that meant her soul would be in agony for the rest of eternity. She didn't deserve that. _'Take the phone and dial 911 with your claws. Just tell them "heart attack" and stay on the phone with them. They will trace your call and be there in a few minutes'_

He watched Ah-Un knock the phone off the table and struggle to dial 911. Kaede was still gasping, now on her side on the floor, her eyes wide with fear.

"Stay with me, baba…" Sesshomaru whispered.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked on the phone.

"Heart attack…" Ah-Un's voice sounded like a rusty bucket being dragged across gravel and they had to repeat themselves slowly several times.

"Who's having a heart attack? Is it you? Can you stay on the line with me, please? The paramedics will be there in about three minutes. Is your door unlocked?"

' _Sir, her door is locked'_ Ah-Un's thoughts communicated.

' _It isn't hard to unlock. Just use your paw'_ Sesshomaru commanded, feeling a sense of anxiety when he noticed Kaede's movements slowing to a stop, _'Hurry'_

Ah-Uh made their way to the front door and stared at the oblong door lock for a moment before they reached up with a paw and swiped down to unlock it.

"Hello? Stay with me. Is the door unlocked?" the operator on the phone asked.

The beat trotted back over to the phone. "Yesss…"

' _You sound like a snake"_ Sesshomaru scowled, his face contorted in disgust.

"Ok…uh, sir…? The paramedics are pulling into your driveway right now. Don't worry, they will take care of you"

At that moment, there were three firm raps at the door then it opened. "Paramedics! Where are you?"

Sesshomaru watched Ah-Un make their way to the door and bark for the paramedics to follow. They led the emergency response team to the living room where Kaede was lying still on the door, the color in her face grey. One of the paramedics called out to her and gently shook her arm and when she didn't respond, the team surrounded her, turned her on her back and began performing CPR.

"You can't die on me now, old woman" the young general said out loud to himself, resisting the urge to bite his nails. Ah-Un sat off to the side and out of the way, ears and head lowered in concern.

After a few minutes of CPR and pushing air into her lungs, Kaede gasped and began coughing though her eyes remained closed.

"Let's get her in the truck" one of the paramedics commanded and they transferred her onto a stretcher, wheeled her inside the truck and took off down the road, sirens blaring.

Sesshomaru hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until his chest began to burn and he quickly inhaled and let the air out in a rush, closing his eyes for a moment. Obviously, he wasn't the praying type but he sent a quick, "Thank you" up anyway.

' _Uh…what should I do, wait?'_ Ah-Un asked, looking uncomfortable.

' _No, come back. You've done well'_ Sesshomaru commanded, _'I will take it from here'_

.

..

…

Kaede became aware she wasn't at home when she flexed her hand against whatever she was lying on. Obviously, she was in a bed; the mattress was thinner than the one at home and there was a painfully clean smell in the air, like she was in a hospital…

Ah, that's right. Something had caused her chest to hurt something ferocious. She slowly lifted a hand to her chest and rubbed, relieved it didn't hurt anymore. It must have been a heart attack. She prayed she never felt anything like that again.

"Glad to see you're awake"

Kaede opened her eyes and realized she didn't have her glasses on. But she'd recognize that voice anywhere. She smiled, her eyes getting hot. "Oh, Ryuk. You didn't stay with me all night, did you?"

Sesshomaru uncrossed his legs, grimacing as the blood flowed unrestricted to his foot again. "You've been asleep for three days"

"Three days?!" Kaede asked, alarmed, "Who's going to feed Rocket? Oh, my goodness, he needs to be taken outside! Ryuk, I need you to go over there and-"

"Rocket is fine, no need to worry. I took him to a neighbor's house" the inuyoukai murmured, ignoring the urge to laugh at Ah-Un being named Rocket. He could only imagine how in the world he got that nickname.

The old woman sighed, putting her hand on her forehead. "Oh, thank goodness. Thank you, Ryuk, you're such a sweet, thoughtful boy. When I come home, I will make you your favorite pie"

"No, when you come home, you will be taking it easy and relaxing with your feet up" Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly, standing and straightening out his slacks, "We can't risk you having another heart attack or worse, a stroke"

"But, Ryuk, I feel fin-"

"I don't want to hear it. You will be on bedrest by doctor orders if you insist on arguing with me"

Kaede puffed up as if that's exactly what she was about to do but was interrupted by a knock at the door and a young doctor stepping through, a genuine smile fixed on her pretty face.

"Hi, you must be Ms. Kaede's grandson. I am Dr. Pierce, I performed the surgery Ms. Kaede needed on her heart" the doctor said in a pleasant voice. Sesshomaru had to shake himself of the image of this Dr. Pierce screaming in agony as the flame of the fiery lake consumed her.

"I…yes, I go by…Ryuk. What exactly was the problem with…grandmother's heart?" the young general asked.

"Well, it seems Ms. Kaede got a clog in her arteries which caused the blood flow to and from her heart to strain" Dr. Pierce explained, "Her heart began working overtime, trying to provide the rest of her body with blood and then it got tired and that was when she had the heart attack"

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at his "grandmother", who looked away as if in shame. It did something to his chest to know, as sweet as she was, sometimes she still had to suffer, even when she had no control over it. "Thank you. When will I be able to take her home and put her on bedrest?"

Dr. Pierce glanced over his shoulder and grinned at something [probably Kaede making a face at him behind his back]. "We want to keep an eye on her for a few days so I'd say in able two days, you will though I'm not sure if bedrest will be necessary. She will need to be more active and take on a healthier diet though"

"No more sugar in your tea, lady" the young general murmured, turning to the old woman who heaved a great sigh.

"I guess not. Can I at least have honey?" Kaede asked.

"No" Sesshomaru responded at the same time Dr. Pierce said, "Sure"

The cardio surgeon chuckled. "Everything in moderation. No more fats or red meat anymore though and more grains"

"And bedrest" Sesshomaru piped up.

"Oh, hush, Ryuk" Kaede grumbled.

As the doctor made her exit, Sesshomaru spent a little more time with the old woman before he took his leave with no real destination in mind. Caring for humans were so stressful! He should be done with this foolishness and just snatch the soul out of her body and drag it back with him…but alas, the little voice in his head squealed, "No" so he did not. He sighed. That woman was going on bedrest when she got home, damn it. He didn't care what she said.

.


End file.
